Universities in Sao Tome and Principe: Admission, Costs and How to Apply

Higher education in Sao Tome and Principe

Sao Tome and Principe is a small twin-island nation, and its higher education system matches that scale. Most students study close to home at the country's single public university, while a smaller number choose a private alternative or leave for Portugal, Cabo Verde, or another country to study subjects not taught locally.

Universidade de São Tomé e Príncipe (USTP)

USTP is the country's main public university. It formed in 2014 through a merger of three existing institutions: the Instituto Superior Politécnico (ISP), which had trained secondary school teachers since the 1997/1998 academic year, the teacher training school EFOPE, and the health sciences institute ICS. The merged university now teaches around 2,000 students, according to the University of Sao Tome and Principe record.

Faculties and courses

USTP organizes its teaching around four scientific areas.

• Sciences of Nature, Life and Environment: biology, agronomy, physics, and related fields.

• Human and Social Sciences and Arts: Portuguese, French, history, geography, and communications.

• Exact Sciences and Engineering: mathematics and computer engineering.

• Economic, Political Sciences and Law: business administration, economics, hotel management, and law.

The university also runs the Instituto Superior de Ciências de Saúde Victor Sá Machado, teaching nursing, clinical analysis, anesthesia, and other health sciences, plus teacher training tracks for primary and early childhood education. Full course listings sit on the USTP licenciaturas page .

Private and other options

Universidade Lusíada de São Tomé e Príncipe operates as the country's private university, giving students a second track outside the public system. Its course list runs smaller than USTP's, so check directly which of your intended subjects it teaches before you count on it as your main option. It belongs to Portugal's private Lusíada university network, which also runs campuses in several other Portuguese-speaking countries.

Documents you need to apply

Prepare the same core paperwork most Portuguese-language higher education systems ask for.

• Your secondary school completion certificate and full transcript.

• A valid identification document or passport.

• Completed application form from USTP or the private university you target.

• Passport-style photos, since most application forms in the region still ask for physical copies.

USTP structures its programs on a semester system, following the academic model common across Portuguese-speaking higher education, so plan your intake around a September or October start rather than a single fixed date.

How to apply

Applications to USTP open ahead of each academic year for licenciatura (bachelor's), mestrado (master's), and, in some areas, doutoramento (doctoral) intakes, listed on the USTP official site . You need a completed secondary education certificate to apply for an undergraduate program, and competitive courses such as nursing set their own entrance requirements. Contact the admissions office directly by email or phone before you submit documents, since the published calendar changes from year to year and the site does not list a fixed schedule.

Tuition and costs

USTP sets its tuition (propinas) year to year, and it runs far below what you would pay to study the same subject abroad. The university awards Bolsas de Mérito, merit scholarships that cover 100% of a year's tuition for students in licenciatura, bacharelato, or mestrado programs who meet the academic bar, detailed on the USTP scholarships page . Budget for registration fees, books, and living costs on top of tuition, since these add up faster than the tuition line itself in a country where most goods arrive by import. Health science programs and other equipment-heavy courses often carry extra material fees beyond standard tuition, so ask your faculty for a full cost breakdown rather than relying on the headline propina figure alone.

After you enroll

USTP degrees hold recognition inside Sao Tome and Principe and across the wider Portuguese-speaking higher education space, which matters if you plan graduate study or work in Portugal, Cabo Verde, or Angola after you finish. Keep transcripts and any accreditation documents from your program, since employers and foreign universities in the region ask for them when you apply for further study or a work permit. If your subject sits in a regulated field such as health sciences, check with the relevant professional body in the country where you plan to practice, since local licensing rules apply on top of your degree.

Choosing where to study

If your intended subject appears in USTP's course list, studying at home costs less and keeps you near family, an advantage in a country where flights off the islands run infrequent and cost more than many students can spare. If your subject is not on that list, plan your abroad application early. Portugal-based scholarship programs open on a fixed annual cycle, and slots for popular fields fill fast.

Studying outside Sao Tome and Principe

Because USTP's course list stays narrow, students who want a subject the country does not teach, medicine or specialized engineering fields for example, look abroad. Portugal and Cabo Verde run scholarship programs specifically for Sao Tome and Principe nationals, covering a wide range of fields not available at home. Read the companion guide on scholarships and student funding for how to apply to these programs.